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Introducing… Morgan

Back when I was planning Daemon Parallel – with cut-up bits of paper tacked all over the livingroom door – I wasn’t sure who Morgan was. I knew he arrived a little way into my story, and shook up the world of my main character, Cameron. I thought he might be a daemon who worked as a busker on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, annoying tourists with his awful guitar strumming (He isn’t…). I thought he might be a wayward big brother figure, or maybe that slightly dodgy friend you had when you were a kid… the one that was fun to hang around with, but as soon as things went wrong, managed to magically disappear (He could be…).

Oddly enough, when I sat down to write him, he turned up on the page fully-formed; edgy and aggressive, or easy-going and funny just as the mood takes him.

Here’s a little bit from when he first appears in the novel:

“Ok, so you’re a daemon. So what?”

To Cameron’s surprise, he found himself pushing his shoulders back,
and pulling himself up straight. He was almost as tall as the boy when he tried. “I’ve met plenty of your lot, and
compared to an offal-eating curtain, you’re not all that.”

The side of the boy’s mouth twitched, as if he found
this funny. “Maybe not. Maybe I’m just different.”
He drew his foot back and aimed a vicious kick at the
gate, which shook so hard it made the whole huge fence
vibrate and sing.

“Hey, what did you do that for?” Cameron stepped
back. He glanced around, hoping the noise hadn’t
drawn any unwanted attention.

“Experiment,” said the boy, giving him a pointed
stare. “Some things give way to pressure.”

Cameron said nothing.

As the thrumming sound died down, the boy tested
the gate again. “And some don’t.”
He turned back to Cameron.

“So, are we finding a
way in – or not?”

…it’s fair to say he and Cameron have a lot to go through, before they get to know each other!

Despite his spiky attitude, Morgan seems to be a character people like. I was really pleased when my friend Kate decided to have a go at drawing him (as a practice piece for her portfolio). I think she’s captured him well, and got his wolfish grin, long tangled hair, and penchant for flashy jackets exactly right! She’s added details of her own too, like those pointy ears, and the ear and brow rings, and that marvelous stars and night sky backdrop.

It’s fascinating to discover how other people see your characters…

You can find Kate Madigan’s website here, and a little more about this drawing here.

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6 thoughts on “Introducing… Morgan”

These are the first fictional words of yours I’ve actually read! (I HEARD the bit set in the shop at the Kelpies Awards, but that’s never quite the same as seeing the words!) I love the dynamic between the two characters, I love the dialogue and I really want to read the book. Very much enjoying your countdown!

I can’t believe I didn’t notice that wonderful picture at first! (I’m such a word person..) It’s absolutely fabulous. I love Tim Steven’s (I think?) pictures for Diana Wynne Jones’s books, and this very much reminds me of his Wizard Howl. Vain, intriguing and dangerously attractive. Are the pictures going to be in the books?

Thanks for the kind words about the dialogue and character dynamic… Am really glad you’re looking forward to the book. (If you’re desperate to read some more of my deathless prose, you can always check out the story @ Edinburgh City of Literature http://www.edinburghcityofliterature.com/august21.html )

The pictures were drawn just for Kate’s amusement, so I’m afraid they’re not included in the book! I’d love to work with her some day though…

I think my copy of ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’ predates the Tim Steven’s illustrations, but I’ll need to have a look out for them… Howl is a great character (I love the bit in the novel where we see through Sophie’s eyes the wet and strange land he comes from, and discover his true background. Shame it didn’t make it into the film…). I’m not sure Morgan is quite as articulate and vain, but he’s certainly fairly self-centered (and has an eye for a good jacket)!